Car-coupling.



No. 648,970. Patented may s, leon. P. LucAs.

CAR GDUPLING.

(Application led Oct. 17, 1899.)

'U/dy w: Noam No. 648,970. Patented May 8, |900.

P. LUCAS.

GAB CDUPLING.

(Application med oct. 1v, 1999.)

(No Model.) 2'Sheets-Sheet 2.

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'NrTE-- STATES PATENT Fries..

PARKERIUOAS, OF SIIERIDAN, VEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EVERMONT SPURLOOK, AOF SAME- PLACE.

oAR-oouPLiNG;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,970, dated May s, 1900;

` Application sied october?, 1899. serial No. 7333941.' (N6 maar.)

[o all' whom it may concern: v 'I vBe it known that I, PARKER LUCAS, a citizen'of the United States, residing at Sheridan, in the county of Lincoln and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Oar- Ooupling, of which the following is a specilication.L y.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings. y -A One object of the presenty invention is to improve the constructionv of pin-and-linkcarcouplings and to provide asimple and comparatively-inexpensive one capable of coupling automaticallyand adapted to be readily un'coupled from the'tops andV sides of cars without going between them.

A further object of the invention is topro-v vide a car-couplingof this character which may be readily set for 'automatic coupling from the top or sides of a car and which will be capable of supportinga-link in a-horizontal position for guiding it into the mouth of a The invention consistsin the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and'pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings', Figure 1 is a perspective'f view of a car-coupling constructed in accordance with this invention, the coupling-pin being supported in an elevated position. for automatic coupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 8 isa longitudinal sectional view showing two' drawheads coupled.' Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing the pin in engagement with a link. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the reciprocating pin-'supporting slide.

Like numerals of reference designate correl sponding parts in all the flguresof the drawings.

1 designates a draw-head having a flaring mouth and provided with the usual longitudinal link-cavity to receive a link 2, which is engaged by a coupling-pin 3, arranged in a coupling-pin perforation 4t and adapted to be moved vertically to engage itwith and disengage it from the link. The coupling-pin,

which extends above the draw-head, is provided at its upper end with a bifurcated head 5, whichis pivoted by a pin 6 or othersuitf able fastening device to the inner end of the lower uncoupling-lever 7, and thelatter is disposed transversely of the car 8, to which the draw-head is secured. V 4

The transverse lever 7 is fulcrumed at a 'pointbetweenits ends lon a suitable pivot 9 of a post '10, bifurcated atits upper end to receive the lever and mounted onan arm 11, 6o extending laterally from one sideof the drawhcad at the top thereof. 'The outer portion of the lever-Tis designed to be arranged with- *in easy reach. from the side of the car toward which it extends, so that it may be` readily grasped by the operator without going be'- tween cars.

The oouplingepin is supported in an elevated position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of'theacco'mpanying drawings, by a recipro- 7o eating slidel 12, arranged at :the top of the draw-head and mounted in a groove or way 13-whi`ch intersects the coupling-pin perforation. The slide 12 has a rear supporting portion 14' and a reduced front portion 15, 75 which isadapted to extend beyond the front end" of Vthe draw-head in positionto be en- .gagedby another draw-head, whereby it will be moved inward when two cars come to- .'gether for coupling. When the slide is moved 8ol rearward by this means, the support is withdrawn from beneath the coupling-pin, which is caused to fall and engage the link. The rear supporting portion of 'the'slide extends laterally beyond the reduced front portion,.85

which is offset from the plane of the couplingpin perforation, and the groove or way, which conforms to the configuration of the'slide, has its enlarged rear portion extending to the y front wall of the coupling-pin perforation and 9o forming av shoulder at that point to be engaged by the front end of the rear supporting portion-111- of the slide, whereby the forward or outward movement of the slide is limited.

The slide is vthrown forward or outward when the coupling-pin is elevated, and'it is freely moved in that direction bya weighted bellcrank lever 16, located at oneside of the draw-head on the exterior thereof and fulorumed at its angle on a pivot 17. The lower 10o portion of the bell-crank lever yextends forward or outward and is substantially horizond tal, being provided at its outer end with a weight 18, which actuates the slide, and the latter is connected at its rear end to an arrn 19,eXtendinghorizontally from the upper end of the lever 16. The arm 19, which extends inward from the lever 1G, is arranged in a perforation of the rear end of the slide, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings. The pivot 17, which is provided at its inner end with a head, extends through one of the walls of the draw-head; but any suitable form of pivot maybe employed for fulcruming the bell-crank lever 16.

Vhen the lower uncoupling-lever is-operated to elevate the coupling-pin, the slide is automatically thrown forward by the weighted `bell-crank lever and the `coupling-pin is maintained in an elevated position for automatic coupling. When the slide is moved inward by reason of two cars coming,r together for coupling, the coupling-pin is caused to fall and engage the link. The lower uncou pling-lever is connected by a rod with an upper uncoupling-lever 20, fulcrumed on top of the car 8 and arranged at one side thereof in position to be readily operated to uncouple two cars and to arrange the coupling-pin in an elevated position for automatic coupling. The upper uncoupling-lever 20 is fulcrumed between its ends on a suitable support, and its outer end is connected with the upper end of the rod 21, which extends to the lower un` coupling-lever.`

The upper uncoupling-lever extends longitudinally of the car,and Vits pivotal connection with the rod 21 permits the latter to oscillate longitudinally of the car to yield to the longitudinal movement cf the draw-head.

In order to support the link in a horizontal position, the draw-head is provided in `rear of the coupling-pin perforation with an out-` wardly-extending inclined spring 22, having its outer end free and arranged to engage the link, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the ac-` companying drawings. The rear end of the spring, which is secured to the bottom of the draw-head, preferably extends through a slot 23 thereof and is fastened to the lower face of the bottom by a screw 211c or other suitable fastening device. The free outer end ofthe i spring is arranged to engage the inner end of the link, and it is capable of holding the same v in a horizontal position for guidingitinto the mouth of another draw-head during the operation of coupling to obviate the necessity of going between cars to accomplish this result. The arrangement of the spring 22 is such that it will not be injured by a link entering the draw-head, and such link cannot affect the fastening device or devices for securing the spring to the draw-head.

It will be seen that the car-coupling is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction; that it is positive, reliable, and automatic in its operation, and that it is capable of coupling and of being readily uncoupled without going between cars. The operation of uncoupling may be performed from the side of the car or from the top thereof, and the spring, which is adapted to sup-` port the link in a horizontal position, vis arranged to be readily engaged by the same.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the ad van tages of this invention.

That is claimed is- 1 1. In a car-coupling, `the combination of a draw-head having a coupling-pin, a longitudinally-reciprocating slide mounted on the topl of the draw-head and arranged to support the coupling-pin in an elevated position, and a Weighted bell-crank lever fulcrumed on the draw-head at oneside'thereof and extending inward over the top of the same and i connectedv with the slide, substantially as described.

2. The combinationof a draw-head having a coupling-pin perforation and provided in rear of lthesame with 'an opening located at the 'bottom of the draw-head, andan inclined springA extending through the opening of the bottom of the draw-head, secured to the latter in rea-r of such opening and'having its front or outer end free and located above the bottom of `the draw-head in position for en- ICC 

